It was working.
After days of chanting, incense, and prayer—the summoning circle pulsed with light. Golden runes flared across the stone floor, humming with power.
"It's working!" one of the mages cried. "The portal is opening!"
The high priestess stepped into the chamber, her entrance quiet but commanding. She moved with practiced grace, her long golden hair flowing like sunlight behind her. Dressed in ceremonial white robes embroidered with silver thread, she looked every part the divine envoy she claimed to be.
"All of you," she said, voice clear and authoritative, "stand ready to receive the Hero."
The summoning chamber itself was ancient—a relic from an age when magic was pure and the gods still listened. Tall, stained-glass windows filtered colored light across the marble floor. In the center, the glowing summoning circle spun slowly, lifting into the air.
This was where the kingdom summoned warriors from other worlds—Heroes they begged for, to battle the ever-encroaching Demon Lords.
Their world had long been divided: 55% of the land belonged to humans, 45% to demons. That fragile balance had held for generations, a constant tug-of-war of fire and blood. Each side fought to control everything. And now, the war was tipping once again.
The demons had grown bold. Stronger. Ever since the last Hero disappeared—without a trace, without a farewell—the kingdom had grown desperate.
The priestess Seraphine folded her hands, hiding the tremble in her fingers.
They needed a new Hero.
Then the circle slowly descended.
First a head appeared—then shoulders, arms, and finally the full form of a young man, standing unsteadily within the glowing ring. Light clung to him like mist before slowly fading, leaving only the silence of breathless anticipation.
The priestess stepped forward, every inch the holy figure she was meant to be, though her hands trembled faintly within her sleeves.
She met his eyes and spoke clearly, her voice echoing off the ancient stone.
"Welcome, Hero. You now stand within the Ashton Kingdom—our last bastion of hope."
She bowed her head deeply, the weight of her words falling like stone.
"There is great danger threatening our world. The demons rise again, stronger and more merciless than ever before. So I beg you…" She lifted her gaze, eyes shining with a mix of fear and faith.
"Please—save our world."
Zen stood in the center of the glowing circle, swaying slightly as the last flickers of golden light faded from his skin. He blinked. Once. Twice.
"What the hell…"
Marble floors. Giant stained-glass windows. A bunch of robed strangers staring at him like he'd just stepped out of a dream.
He looked down at himself, then around the ornate chamber. He gave himself a quick slap on the cheek.
Smack.
"Ow," he muttered. "Okay. Not a dream."
The silence in the room deepened. A few mages exchanged glances, eyebrows raised.
"…Did he just hit himself?" one whispered.
"Is this normal?"
Before anyone could voice it louder, the high priestess stepped forward, her voice calm and practiced.
"Do not be concerned," she said gently. "According to the sacred records, Heroes summoned across worlds often experience… confusion at first. Their minds and bodies are adjusting to the shift."
She smiled warmly, folding her hands in front of her.
"You are safe now. You have been chosen by the gods to save this world."
Zen opened his mouth. Closed it.
Then: "…What?"
The priestess bowed her head slightly. "You now stand in the Kingdom of Ashton. We summoned you through divine ritual to face the growing threat of the Demon King."
He stared at her.
"You're telling me I got… isekai'd?"
No one answered.
"…Okay," he muttered again, rubbing his temples. "Didn't expect this when I went to bed."
Zen stared at the priestess for a long moment. Then he sighed, running a hand through his messy black hair.
"Nope," he said flatly. "I don't need that isekai bullshit."
The entire room blinked in confusion.
He pointed vaguely toward the stained-glass ceiling. "I mean, yeah, powers sound cool and all, but I've read enough manga and watched enough anime to know how this goes. Hero gets dragged into another world, told he's 'the chosen one,' fights demons, suffers trauma, loses friends, gets betrayed—sometimes multiple times—and then maybe saves the world."
He paused, glancing at her. "Nah. I'm good. Thanks. So if you could just—send me back now? Please and thank you."
The chamber went completely silent.
The priestess opened her mouth. Closed it. Then opened it again.
"…This is the first time a Traveler has… rejected the summoning," she said, voice soft with disbelief.
Zen gave her an awkward thumbs-up. "Glad to be original."
She shook her head slowly. "I'm… sorry, Sir Hero. There is no 'send back.' The summoning is one-way only. Once called, the soul is bound to this realm."
Zen's eye twitched. "…You're kidding."
"I am not."
He turned slightly, as if looking for a hidden exit behind a column. "So you're telling me I got yoinked out of my life by some divine committee and they didn't think to add a return button?"
"…Return button?"
"Yeah, like a failsafe. Emergency eject. Something." He sighed. "Figures."
The priestess took a step closer, her expression softening.
"Please, Sir Hero… I know this must be overwhelming. But we would not have summoned you if the need were not dire. The Demon King rises again, and the balance of our world is tipping into chaos. You are our only hope."
Zen rubbed his temples. "Yeah, I heard you the first time. Still doesn't change the fact that I didn't sign up for any of this."
She lowered her head in a deep, solemn bow. "Please… reconsider."
He looked at her. Really looked at her.
Not at the robes or the symbols—but the person. She was young. Maybe early twenties. Her hands were still trembling, even though her voice was steady.
She wasn't faking her fear.
He sighed.
"…You guys always do this," he muttered under his breath.
She looked up, puzzled. "Do what?"
Zen glanced around at the awestruck mages, the glowing runes fading beneath his feet, the massive stained-glass windows that looked like they belonged in a cathedral.
"Ask a kid to save the world."